Striking mechanism for clocks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(ModeL) A. FISCHER.

STRIKING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

N0.336,996. Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

(Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. FISCHER.

STRIKING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

WITNESSES .dttorney Nv PETERS. Pholo-Lunogmphcr, Washin ton, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST FISCHER, OF VVINOHESTER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES F. POTTS, OF WHITEHALL, ILLINOIS.

STRIKING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,996, date-:1 Mar-3h 2, 1886.

Application filed May 28, 1885.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST FISCHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of \Vinchester, county of Scott, State of Illinois,

5 have invented new and useful Improvements in Striking Mechanisms for Clocks, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to striking mechanism for clocks or other time-pieces; and it consists in a duality of bells of different tones, with hammers so arranged as to be operated by the time mechanism of the clock.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eiiicient striking mechanism for clocks provided with thetwenty-four-hoursysteni, by doing away with the necessity of con secut-ive strokes on one bell of a number corre 2o sponding with the hour indicated by the timemechanism after the eleventh hour. I acconr plish this by striking the several hours, as in the common system oftwelve-hour clocks, upon the bell preferably ofa light tone. When the 2 twelfth hour is reached, it is indicated by .a

single stroke on a bell of a different and preferably a deeper tone.

For the convenience of description,I will call the former the light-toned and the latter the deep-toned bell.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the striking mechanism detached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 8 isa detail of the wheel I and wires affected by it. Fig. 4. is a detail of the bell-crank K and oscillating pins L. Fig. 5 is a detail view of wheel D and lever K. Fig. 6 is a detail view of wires I." and L and arbor L and the levers K and K.

On the shaft A of the minute-wheel is a lug, A, projecting far enough to engage the end of a crooked wire,B, which is rigidly at tached to a loose shaft, 13. Attached to this shaft are two other wires, B and E the ends 4 5 of which are turned at an angle. The angled ends of are turned into the paths of a projecting pin on a small wheel, H, forming one of the chain of wheels comprising the striking mechanism. The end of B extends under the 50 wire which is rigidly attached to the shaft 0. Attached to the shaft 0 is the wire (I,

Lil

Serial No. 166,916. (ModcL) which is formed as shown in the drawings, one end protuding into irregularly-spaced perforations in the flanged periphery ofthe wheel D, and the angled end wire, 0, which rests in a single indentation in the periphery of the disk I. Both the shafts B and G are held in their normal positions by means of small wire springs.

The spring-wheel E and pinion-wheels F, G, and H form a chain of wheels used in this mechanism. The wheel H engages a small cog-whi-el on the shaft of the fan M. Attached to the shaft of thewheel G is a disk, I, having a single indentation cut in its periphery, and connected to the body of the wheel G by a small pin, 1. The wheel H is provided with a pin, J, extending from its side,as before referred to. The wheel D is provided with a perforated and indented flange, D, and spurs on its periphery, as shown in drawings, the perforations lying in the path of the pawl end of wire G the indentations in thepath of the pawl end of lever K, the spurs in the path of the crank Y. The lever K is so fulcrumed, as shown in drawings, as to cause a long movement at the end of the lower arm for a short movement ofthe upper arm. Connected to the end of the lower arm of this lever is one arm ofa bellcrank lever, K, the other arm of which is slotted or forked,so as to hold free an oscillatingpin,L. The oscillating pin L is pivotcdin a shaft, L, in such manner as to allow the free end to engage the curved portions of the hammer-wire. Rigidly connected to the shaft L is the wire L'", the loose end of which lies in the path of the pin I.

The bells O and P are of different tones light and heavy, respectively. Poised over them are the hammers O and 1?, the wires of which are coiled around a shaft, as shown, so as to form a bearing, and turned up and over these coils to form a bearing for the oscillating pin'L.

The operation of the invention is as follows: At every complete revolution of the minutewheel the lug A forces the crooked wire B back until it passes it. In doing so, the shaft B is partially rotated, raising the end of the wires B and B. The angled portion of B resting under the wire 0, raises it, thus partially rotating the shaft 0. As the shaft 0 rotates the wires 0 and O are thrown out of their engagement with the perforated flangewheel D and the indented disk I, respectively. When the wheel G is thus released, the chain of wheels begins to move, and they are regulated in such movement by the fan M. As the indentation in the disk I comes around, the wire 0 would fall in engagement and stop the revolutions; but it is held from doing so by the wire 0 the end of which, having no perforation presented in the flange D, if the hour be more than one, cannot fall, as it rests on the solid part of the flangeD, for the wheel D has been moved forward one point by the small crank N, which moves the wheel D by engaging the spurs on its periphery once in every revolution. As the disk I revolves, the pin I engages the end of the wire L and moves it back until it passes, when the wire falls suddenly to its normal position. As the wire L is thus actedupon, it partially rotates the shaft L, which moves the oscillating wire L proportionately forward, which moves the hammerwire that it rests against, throwing the hammer back ready to strike. These actions and the reactions being simultaneous, when the pin 1 releases the wire L the hammer so acted upon falls suddenly, striking the bell to which it belongs. At every revolution of the disk I this action occurs. The action is stopped by the bent portion of the wire (3 falling into the indentation in the disk I, and the bent portion of wire 0 into a perforation in flange D of wheel D.

The action of levers K and K is distinct from the chain of wheels, and is as follows: The upper arm of lever K rests against the flange D, and isheld there by asmall spring, K When an indentation, which lies in the path of the pawl end of lever K, comes to it, the pawl is forced into it. The end of the lower arm is thereby forced forward, carrying the connected arm of the bell-crank K back and the slotted arm forward, forcing the oscillating pin L from the engagement with onehammer-wiretotheother. Whenthepawl end of lever K is forced out of the indentation again, all these parts resume their former positions. Whenthe pawl end of lever K falls into an indentation, as before described, the pin L engages the wire of hammer P,

poised over the heavy-toned bell P. When the pawl is riding the solid portion of the flange D, the pin L engages the wire of hammer O, poised over the light-toned bell O.

The heavy-toned bell is used to strike the twelves in a number, and the light-toned bell the numbers less than twelve. Thus, when it is desired to strike the thirteenth hour, there will be two strokes-one on the heavy-toned bell, marking the twelves, and one on the light, marking the additional numbers. At the twenty-fourth hour it will be indicated by two strokes on the deep-toned bell. The pawl end of the lever K will rest in an indentation for one space of the movement of the wheel D,

act details of this system, as a succession of rapid strokes on one hell might be used to indicate the number of twelves contained in a number, or one stroke on a bell and a pause, and the additional strokes on the same bell, thus marking the twelves and additional numbers, as in this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- V 1. In a striking mechanism of a clock or other time-piece, two bells or sets of bells of different tones, two hammers or sets of hammers, and an oscillating lever engaging the ends of said hammers, and pivotal] y connected to a revolving shaft, L, and provided with a suitable mechanism for shifting it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the wheel D, lever K, bell-crank K with disk I, small crank N,

pin 1, wire L", pin L, and hammers O and P, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the wheel D, wires 0? and 0 B. and B, lug A, disk I, small crank N, pin 1, wire L, pin L, lever K, bellerank K, hammers O and P, and bellsO and P, substantially as set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of May, A. D. 1885.

AUGUST FISCHER. 

